'^•^^■-  ^lA  Sju.ru)£ju 


IP   ^ 

c.  3 


Press  Bulletin  Series  I^,„^j  Twice  Quarterly 

STATE  OF  ILLINOIS  ^»» 

DEPARTMENT  OF  REGISTRATION  AND  EDUCATION  -.  qG^^*^ 

A.  M.  SHELTON,  Director  ^      C^P^         r^yt 


DIVISION  OF  THE 


STATE  GEOLOGICAL  SURVEY       gU^'^^r  2,1' 

M.  M.  LEIGHTON,  Chief.  Urbana  Q0» 


No   9  ILLINOIS   PETROLEUM  June  18,1927 


OIL   POSSIBILITIES  OF  THE  GALESBURG  QUADRANGLE, 

KXOX  AND  WARREN  COUNTIES.  ILLINOIS 

By  R.  S.  Poor 

Introduction 

Geological  studies  in  the  Galesburg  quadrangle,  conducted  by  the  Illi- 
nois State  Geological  Survey  during  the  summer  of  1926,  have  made  avail- 
•  able  information  bearing  on  the  oil  possibilities  of  that  area.     The  purpose 
of  this  paper  is  to  give  the  oil  industry  immediate  access  to  recent  data  and 
their  interpretations. 

The  location  of  the  Galesburg  quadrangle  with  reference  to  the  State 
as  a  whole  and  to  the  nearest  oil-producing  area,  the  Colmar-Plymouth  oil 
field,  is  shown  in  figure  1. 

General  Geology 

The  Galesburg  quadrangle   is   situated   near   the   northwestern  margin 
of  the  Illinois  coal  field.     It  is  joined  on  the  northwest  by  the  Alexis  quad- 
rangle,^ and  on  the  south  and   southeast  by  the  Avon  and   Canton  quad- 
rangles.2     The  area  is  everywhere  covered  by  a  mantle  of  glacial  drift  ex- 
cept along  the  larger  stream  courses.     The  thickness  of  the  drift  varies  from 
that  of  a  thin  layer  to  slightly  more  than  100  feet.     Virtually  the  entire  area 
is  underlain  by   Pennsylvanian   rocks   whose  thickness  varies   from   almost 
nothing  to  29,5  feet.     In  the  southwest  portion  of  the  area  the  Burlington 
limestone  (chert)  of  -Mississippian  age  is  exposed.     A  few  well  logs  show 
the  Burlington  but  generally  the  Pennsylvanian  rocks  rest  unconformably  " 
upon  the  Sweetland  Creek  shale  of  Devonian  age.     The  Kinderhook  shale 
reported  m  the  Alexis  quadrangle,  in  the  Avon  and  Canton  quadrangles, 
and  in  the  Alonmouth  quadrangle  on  the  west  was  not  encountered  in^'the 
wells  of  this  quadrangle  but  only  eight  drillings  have  penetrated  its  horizon. 
Six  are  in  th^  city  of  Galesburg,  one  in  Knoxville.  and  one  in  Abingdon  for 

•  Wanless,    H.    R.,    Oil    pos.sibHities   of    the   Alexis   quadrangle,    Mercer   and    Warren 

N:"t^pp/i-rApri;';r;o27.""  "^°'-  ^-^^-^^  ^-'^^^  ""^'^'^"  ^-'-'^'  "^^-^^  ^---- 

state '^leX\^%u^:vfy  Bu^'ll'iriafey"''"'""   '''    ""''"'""     ''^'"^     ^^'^^"     Quadrangle.s;      Illinois 


ILLINOIS  I'KTHOLEUM 


—  —^ 


<               ID 

5: -O 

y=o 

\i===CD 

«-       'f-\ 

' T- 

Se LT) 

INOIS 

30 

=co 


JO  D*VI£SS        I     STEPHENSON       ,    WINNEBAGO 
I  I 


T""r 


i-- ^ 


/■  '  WHITESIDE  I  LEE 


BOONE'       Mchenry       '     lake 

I  I 


T — r- 


I i-. 


,0**      I 


«o> 


n" 


I 


.^j 


./ 


I 1 


I     DU  PAGE    I  1 

I  I   COOK     * 


TT 


^  1     WARREl 


i 


I  I  I  PUTNAM 

n-      |-^-T_.j_,  , L 

,  STi  UK  / 

I — L_r      I 


.  UVINCSTON  j 


I     PEORIA       f 


,_.Z ^J 


F^--H 


,-i 


I  "'  TAZEWELL        I 

FULTON  /^  I  Mclean 


n 1 

Mcdonough  I 
I 


V- 


/         "n  

/MASON  ~r  /" 

SCHUYLER  -JT  ,  I       DEWITT  / 


MENARD  ^ 

CASS  I  _J I  IPIATT 

I -' 


ADAMS  '  v^* 

I    B  RO  W  N      ^ 

I 1  1  '  MACON, 

1  ^,_  \  .^^  \ 

s  /  'mORGANi        SANGAMON  Y 

V  PIKE  ^SCOTt'^  ^ 

\        ,'— T-"-r 

^  )  I  li  [SHELBY 

_j-,      MACOUPIN        I    MONTGOMERY  | 


I  I 

.— '  —  T 1    MOULTRIE 

_|        CHRISTIAN  I  ' 


■■  c\        JERS 


~T 


'  ,        MADISON         I 


r 
I 


^-T-  — 


DOUGLAS  I 

I -"I       EDGAR 

I 
COLES  J i 

,       CLARK 
CUMBERLAND     I 

J 

"T  1 


I 


I        CLA 


) 


'  CLINTON         ' 


MARION 


/        ,  ST   CLAIR     '     I    ^-^ —  ^  I 

I  ^ .  I         WASHINGTON        1     JEFFERSON 

M  0  N  R  0  E         I'  I  I 


•.  RANDOLPH         '         PERRY  | 

I  ' 

10 aO_30  40  -^  , /         ffA'-K'-IN 


Seol«  cit   Mil 


/ 


A.   Galesburg  quadrangle 
B   Colmar-Plymouth  oil  field 


Fig.  1.  Index  map  of  Illinois  show- 
ing location  of  Galesburg  quad- 
rangle and  of  the  Colmar-Ply- 
mouth oil  field. 


JACKSON 


WILUAMSON 


I 


I     _ 

^  I 

\     UNION         ,   JOHNSON 


T 


\ 


I, 


EFFINGHAM      I  | 

I                                  'jasper  CRAWFORD  ^ 

I                                  I  '                                "■ 

n  ■!__    J, J 


CLAY  J 

I    RICHLAND      I  LAWRENCE     ( 
)  I 

I        ''    '        ^        ''' 
WAYNE  ///; 


HAMILTON  I      WHITE  j 

I 

r~"\: 

SALINE   '   GALLATIN     / 

1 

i — r"-<, 

I     HARDIN 
POPE  ^ '     ^ 


OIL  POSSUULITIKS    OF   THE   GALKSIiUKO   QUAUKANGLE  3 

which  no  complete  log  is  available.  Such  limited  drilling  does  not  establish 
the  absence  of  this  formation  throughout  the  area.  In  some  of  the  wells 
the  Kinderhook  shale  may  not  have  been  distinguishable  from  the  underlying 
Sweetland  Creek  shale.  Usually,  however,  the  latter  formation  may  be 
recognized  b\-  the  presence  of  the  tiny  spore  cases,  Sporangites  huronense. 

Structure 

Figure  2  is  a  structure  contour  map  based  on  datum  points  on  the  top 
of  Colchester  (No.  2)  coal  obtained  from  outcrops,  coal-test  borings,  and 
wells  penetrating  the  coal.  No.  2  coal  underlies  most  of  the  area  with  an 
average  thickness  of  about  30  inches.  Its  association  with  certain  overlying 
beds  makes  its  identification  relatively  easy  and  it  therefore  serves  as  a  good 
kev  horizon.  In  the  outcrops  the  elevation  of  the  coal  was  determined  by 
telescopic  level  and  plane  table  in  part,  and  in  part  by  hand  leveling  from 
known  elevations.  In  places  where  Colchester  (No.  2)  coal  was  buried  or 
had  been  removed  by  erosion  its  probable  elevation  was  calculated  from  the 
standard  section  present.  Points  so  determined  are  not  numerous  and  are 
considered  accurate  within  20  or  30  feet.  The  probable  error  in  the  points 
determined  instrumentally  is  considered  to  be  less  than  20  feet.  The  data 
from  coal-test  boring  are  not  considered  extremely  reliable.  Most  of  the 
test  drillings  were  made  by  the  churn-drill  method  and  the  results  are  sub- 
ject to  variations  of  5  or  10  feet,  depending  partly  upon  the  length  of  the  stem 
used  in  drilling. 

Alany  minor  undulations  occur  in  the  coal  some  of  which  are  thought 
to  be  due  to  unequal  settling  of  the  coal  and  associated  strata,  and  possibly 
some  are  due  to  ice-shoving  produced  by  the  overriding  ice  in  Pleistocene 
time.  In  one  place  near  the  western  edge  of  the  quadrangle  the  latter  cause 
was  proved  to  have  produced  a  slight  warping  of  the  strata.  These  minor 
undulations  have  been  avoided,  as  far  as  possible,  in  constructing  figure  2, 
and  only  the  broader,  more  significant  structural  features  have  been  included. 

The  structures  favorable  to  oil  accumulation  have  been  named  for  con- 
venience and  brevity  in  description  (fig.  2). 

Haze  Creek  dome  near  the  center  of  the  quadrangle  is  a  pronounced 
anticlinal  structure  plunging  to  the  southeast.  The  dips  of  20  feet  on  the 
north  of  the  structure  and  80  feet  on  the  northeast  should  furnish  sufficient 
reversal  of  dip  to  favor  accumulation  in  the  top  of  the  dome  provided  migra- 
tion occurred  on  a  regional  scale  from  the  southeast.  The  small  domal 
feature  on  the  southeastern  extension  of  Haw  Creek  dome  may  be  a  part  of 
the  main  dome.     The  saddle  between  the  two  bulges  is  not  well  defined. 

Court  Creek  dome  in  the  northeast  part  of  the  quadrangle  is  separated 
from  Haw  Creek  dome  by  a  broad,  shallow  syncline  which  plunges  to  the 


IIXINOIS  I'ETROr.EUM 


A  Datum  point 

^    St  Peter  bandslone 


Fig.  2.    Structure  map  of  the  Galesburg  quadrangle.      Key    horizon,    top    of    Col- 
chester   (No.   2)    coal.      (By  R.   S.  Poor,    Illinois    State    Geological    Survey.) 


OIL  rOSSHni.lTIKS    of    the   GALESHUKC,    (JIADKAXGI.E  5 

southeast.  The  Court  Creek  dome  is  thou^iit  to  tie  merely  a  ])art  of  a  some- 
what larger  anticliual  nose  phuiging  eastward.  The  steep  dip  on  the  south 
suggests  that  the  dome  may  be  structurally  similar  to  Haw  Creek  dome. 

Abingdon  clonic  in  the  southern  part  of  the  quadrangle  is  a  broad,  low 
anticlinal  nose  pitching  south.  It  probably  flattens  out  in  the  Avon  area  to 
the  south  although  the  structure  is  not  definitely  indicated  on  the  map  of 
that  area.     The  data  are  too  few  to  outline  this  structure  accurately. 

Previous  Drilling 

To  date  no  deep  oil  tests  have  been  drilled  in  the  Galesburg  quadrangle. 
A  test  is  reported  to  have  been  made  near  Maquon  about  13  miles  east  of 
Abingdon,  but  details  have  not  been  secured.  One  of  the  six  deep  water 
wells  in  Galesbiu'g  penetrated  the  Dresbach  (Cambrian)  sandstone  and 
attained  a  depth  of  3;5(I5  feet.  The  remaining  seven  deep  wells  in  the  quad- 
rangle were  carried  into  the  St.  Peter  ( Ordovician )  sandstone. 

Xone  of  these  wells  is  considered  to  have  been  drilled  on  favorable 
structure;  so  their  logs  would  be  of  small  value  aside  from  giving  the  strati- 
graphic  setiuence.  The  following  general  section  summarizes  the  strati- 
graphic  data  from  all  of  the  deep  wells. 


ILLINOIS  PETROLEUM 


General  stratigranhic  seetion   of  the   Galcshury   quadrangle   based   on   the   logs   of 

8  deep  wells 


System 

' 

Formation 

Thickness 
Feet 

Character  of  rocks 

Pleistocene 

0-125 

Pebbly  clay,  sand,  and  gravel. 

Pennsylvanian 

C'arbondale 
Pottsville 

0-295 

Sandstones,  shales,  limestones,  and. 
2  workable  coal  beds. 

Mississippian 

Burlington 

0-50 

Crinoidal  limestone,  very  cherty. 

Devonian 

Sweetland  Creek 

70-140 

Shale,  gray  and  brown,  contains 
Sporangites  huronensc. 

Cedar  Valley 
Wapsipinicon 

70-175 

Limestone,  shaly,  brown  to  light 
gray. 

Silurian 

Niagaran 

35-50 

Chert  in  upper  part.  Lower  10-15 
feet  a  light  gray,  porous  dolo- 
mite. 

Hoing  sand 

9 

Producing  sand  in  Colmar-Ply- 
niouth  field. 

Maquoketa 

105-275 

Shale,  light  bluish-gray,  with  thin 
dolomite  layers. 

Galena  ("Trenton") 
Platteville 

385-420 

Dolomite,  brown,  finely  crystal- 
line, lower  10  feet  sandy. 

Glenwood 

7 

A  bluish  shale  horizon-marker  in 
some  areas. 

Ordovician 

St.  Peter 

175 

Sandstone,  white,  loosely  ce- 
mented. 

a 

S 
o 

'3 

Shakopee 

255 

Dolomite,  fine-grained,  light  gray 
and  pink,  cherty,  with  sandy 
layers. 

New  Richmond 

15 

Sandstone,  white,  showing  secon- 
dary growth. 

Oneota 

225 

Dolomite,  cherty,  white  and  light 
gray. 

Jordan 

30 

Sandstone,  white,  very  dolomitic. 

Trempealeau 

295 

Dolomite,  pink,  purple,  and  gray, 
glauconitic;   no  chert. 

Cambrian 

Franconia 

205 

Sandstone,  green,  dolomitic;  glau- 
conitic; with  layers  of  shale  and 
dolomite. 

D 

resbach 

70 

Sandstone,  yellow  to  white;  base 
not  reached  by  drill. 

OIL   rOSSIBILITIKS    OF    THE    GAI.ESIU'KG    QUADKAiS'GLE  7 

Possible  Oil-bearing  Horizons 
Three  formations  in  the  Galesburg  quadrangle  may  produce  oil  in  com- 
mercial quantities. 

(1)  The  Cedar  \'alley  and  \\'apsipinicon  limestones  should  be  reached 
at  a  depth  of  about  GOO  feet  below  the  surface.  This  porous  horizon  has  not 
given  shows  of  oil  in  any  well  passing  through  it.  It  is  known  to  be  a  good 
aquifer,  however,  but  the  water  is  reported  to  be  of  low  salinity.  It  is  not 
likely  to  contain  more  than  local  lenses  of  oil-bearing  strata  even  under  the 
best  of  conditions. 

(2)  The  Hoing-sand  horizon  occurs  at  the  base  of  the  Niagaran  dolo- 
mite and  is  the  producing  bed  in  the  Colmar-Plymouth  field  to  the  southwest. 
This  sand  is  known  to  be  lenticular  in  distribution.  It  was  probably  de- 
rived from  the  residual  material  that  was  developed  on  the  surface  of  the 
Maquoketa  shale  during  the  long  period  of  erosion  prevailing  in  this  region 
between  the  end  of  the  Maquoketa  and  the  beginning  of  Niagaran  time.  If 
this  explanation  be  true  then  the  advancing  Niagaran  sea  in  reworking  this 
residual  material  would  naturally  deposit  the  sand  therefrom  in  the  depres- 
sions on  the  old  Maquoketa  surface.  Sediments  deposited  along  the  plane  of 
unconformity  between  two  otherwise  contiguous  beds  are  usually  in  lenses 
and  are  difficult  to  prospect.  The  only  guide  for  locating  production  in 
such  lenses  is  favorable  structure.  The  sand  may  or  may  not  be  present  on  the 
structure,  and  if  present  it  may  or  may  not  be  oil-bearing.  The  probability 
of  accumulation  in  reservoirs  of  this  sort,  however,  is  good.  The  fact  that 
the  Hoing  sand,  as  such,  has  not  been  definitely  located  in  any  deep  well  in 
the  Galesburg  quadrangle  does  not  establish  its  absence  elsewdiere.  The 
lower  10  or  l.j  feet  of  the  Niagaran  dolomite  is  porous.  The  Niagaran  is 
usually  about  40  feet  thick  in  this  area  and  may  be  reached  at  a  depth  of 
approximately  800  feet. 

(3)  The  Platteville-Galena  ("Trenton")  dolomite  appears  to  present 
the  most  favorable  possibilities  for  the  accumulation  of  oil  in  commercial 
quantities.  Salt  water  is  reported  from  this  formation  rather  generally  in 
this  part  of  the  State,  and  shows  of  oil  have  been  reported  in  it  in  the 
Alexis  quadrangle.  One  of  the  St.  Peter  wells  in  the  city  of  Galesburg  had 
good  shows  of  oil  in  the  lower  300  feet  of  the  formation.  In  this  particular 
well  the  Platteville-Galena  was  410  feet  thick,  and  the  top  was  reached  at 
a  depth  of  650  feet.  The  maximum  know-n  depth  to  the  top  of  the  Galena 
is  1110  feet. 

Certain  precautions  are  essential  to  prospecting  in  this  area.  It  should 
be  borne  in  mind  that  the  formations  of  the  area  have  a  small  regional  dip 
to  the  east  and  southeast  and  consequently  occur  at  greater  depths  than  in 
McDonough  County  or  in  any  area  to  the  west.  Also,  the  variation  in  thick- 
ness of  the  formations,  as  indicated  in  the  general  section,  should  be  taken 
into  account.     For  instance,  the  top  of  the  Niagaran  may  be  reached  at 


8  ILI-INOIS  PETROLEUM 

depths  varying  from  less  than  200  feet  to  slightly  less  than  800  feet.    Depths 
to  other  formations  are  known  to  have  similar  variations. 

Fixed  Carbon  Ratios 
The  ratio  of  fixed  carbon  to  the  sum  of  fixed  carbon  plus  volatile  matter 
determined  from  coal  analyses  is  called  the  "Fixed  carbon  ratio."  It  is  an 
index  of  the  amount  of  metamorphism  or  folding  that  has  occurred  in  an 
area.  In  his  paper  on  the  significance  of  carbon  ratios  in  relation  to  the 
petroleum  in  Illinois'^  Moulton  pointed  out  that  the  extension  of  high  carbon 
ratios,  based  on  No.  6  coal,  which  projects  northwest  from  central  Tazewell 
County  through  Knox  County  to  Rock  Island  County  enclosed  an  area 
worthy  of  more  consideration  than  had  been  given  to  it.  Two  analyses  of 
Rock  Island  (No.  1)  coal  samples  taken  from  the  new  mine  of  the  Gales- 
burg  Mining  Co.  4  miles  east  of  Galesburg  were  obtained  by  the  present 
writer.  They  show  carbon  ratios  of  53.5  and  52.3.  The  amount  of  fixed 
carbon  is  therefore  notably  higher  in  this  coal  than  in  the  coal  of  many  other 
portions  of  the  northern  part  of  the  Illinois  coal  basin.  This  condition  would 
appear  to  indicate  that  the  area  had  been  subjected  to  more  than  the  usual 
amount  of  folding  generally  recognized  for  it. 

Recommendations  for  Testing 

The  Abingdon  dome.  Court  Creek  dome,  and  Haw  Creek  dome  are 
recommended  for  further  investigation.  The  first  two  are  outlined  on  very 
incomplete  data.  Therefore  two  or  more  shallow  tests  might  be  justified  to 
give  a  better  outline  of  the  structure  before  deeper  drilling  is  attempted. 
If  such  shallow  tests  are  made,  they  should  be  carried  to  the  contact  of  the 
Sweetland  Creek  (Devonian)  shale  and  the  Cedar  Valley  (Devonian)  lime- 
stone. This  is  the  shallowest  pre-Pennsylvanian  guide  horizon  which  will 
be  encountered  at  all  points  within  the  quadrangle.  Depths  to  it  on  these 
structures  should  range  from  400  to  625  feet.  Haw  Creek  dome  is  nuich 
better  delineated  by  the  available  data  and  as  a  "wildcat"  a  deep  drilling 
to  test  the  Galena  ("Trenton")  might  be  attempted.  Depths  to  it  should 
range  from  850  to  1025  feet. 

On  the  basis  of  the  available  data,  test  drilling  through  the  Platteville- 
Galena  dolomite  is  recommended.  Only  the  upper  portion  of  this  rock  is 
the  well-known  "Trenton"  but  the  Platteville  or  lower  portion  is  also  porous 
and  has  given  shows  of  oil.  The  contact  of  this  formation  with  the  under- 
lying blue  Glenwood  shale  or  St.  Peter  pure-quartz,  loosely  cemented  sand- 
stone is  easily  recognized  in  all  logs.  None  of  the  deep  water  wells  thus  far 
drilled  within  the  area  is  considered  favorably  located  to  adequately  test  the 
structures.  It  should  be  pointed  out  that  the  Waterloo  field  in  Alonroe 
County,  approximately  180  miles  south  of  the  Galesburg  quadrangle,  is  the 
nearest  one  where  production  is  obtained  from  the  "Trenton." 

^Moulton,  G.  F.,  Carbon  ratios  and  petroleum   in  lllinoi.s:      Illinois  State  Geol.   Sur- 
vey Report  of  Investigations  No.   4,   1925. 
11      6!I533 — 1.tOO 


